Novice Member

I'm planning to get freeview. I currently have a regular dish. I'm looking for a cheap satellite receiver, which can record, I was thinking of getting an openbox, like that I can watch Netflix with it too.
My question is can I get an openbox without a sky dish, with just a regular one.
If not, what do you advice me to get?

Well-known Member

To explain the somewhat cryptic replies. Freeview is terrestrial TV. It's what you get on an aerial connected to pretty much any TV that isn't off the arc.
The satellite service is Freesat (see what they are doing there). Freesat itself is only the EPG for the free to air satellite transmissions from 28.2E (mostly the same transmissions as on a Sky box with the exception of the Sky specific channels).
You specified in your opening post the you wanted a sat receiver so it would be a Freesat box that you want?
And you will be fine with your existing dish as long as it's aligned to the 28.2E sat group. If you can get Sky, you're home and dry. But I don't think and openbox is a Freesat box, so I don't think that you will not get the Freesat EPG, but I could be wrong as I often am.

Novice Member

To explain the somewhat cryptic replies. Freeview is terrestrial TV. It's what you get on an aerial connected to pretty much any TV that isn't off the arc.
The satellite service is Freesat (see what they are doing there). Freesat itself is only the EPG for the free to air satellite transmissions from 28.2E (mostly the same transmissions as on a Sky box with the exception of the Sky specific channels).
You specified in your opening post the you wanted a sat receiver so it would be a Freesat box that you want?
And you will be fine with your existing dish as long as it's aligned to the 28.2E sat group. If you can get Sky, your home and dry. But I don't think and openbox is a Freesat box, so I don't think that you will not get the Freesat EPG, but I could be wrong as I often am.

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Thanks for all those details, so need a freesat box, then to get all the FTA channels

Well-known Member

Some of the Openbox/Skybox stbs if connected to the internet are capable of downloading - mine downloads country specific EPGs rather than satellite specific and if I select England it downloads a 7 day EPG that covers most of the Freesat EPG channels and a few that are not on Freesat

Novice Member

Some of the Openbox/Skybox stbs if connected to the internet are capable of downloading - mine downloads country specific EPGs rather than satellite specific and if I select England it downloads a 7 day EPG that covers most of the Freesat EPG channels and a few that are not on Freesat

Well-known Member

Ok, So if i understand, openbox would not work to get only the FTA channels from freesat?

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Yes it will. It's a generic satellite receiver. You can also get Freesat on 28.2E if you have a Freesat box. The channels on Freesat are just a bunch of the FTA programmes from the satellite but arranged in a nice 'standard' order such as putting BBC1 on ch 101, BBC2 on ch 102, ITV on ch103 etc. A FTA box does not necessarily sort them into the same order, but they are the same transmissions.

Novice Member

Yes it will. It's a generic satellite receiver. You can also get Freesat on 28.2E if you have a Freesat box. The channels on Freesat are just a bunch of the FTA programmes from the satellite but arranged in a nice 'standard' order such as putting BBC1 on ch 101, BBC2 on ch 102, ITV on ch103 etc. A FTA box does not necessarily sort them into the same order, but they are the same transmissions.

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Thanks for all the details, I'll go for the openbox then

I'll be pointing the dish to Astra 28.2E, I'll also receive French TNT on Astra 19.2E, with the same dish

Well-known Member

Depends on the size of the dish. If it is a small dish, (say a Sky zone 1 as I have with three LNBs 28, 19, 13) then getting them close enough together for the 'only' 6 degrees of 19-13 that is the problem

Novice Member

Depends on the size of the dish. If it is a small dish, (say a Sky zone 1 as I have with three LNBs 28, 19, 13) then getting them close enough together for the 'only' 6 degrees of 19-13 that is the problem

Well-known Member

You can get 28.2 and 19.2 on a zone one Sky dish with standard Sky LNBs, but they are just about touching. To get 19.2 and 13, you need slimline LNBs on a Sky dish. A zone 2 Sky dish would allow wider spacing, and possibly allow 19.2 and 13 with Sky LNBs, but I wouldn't bet money on it.
Here's a pic of my Sky Z1 dish with 28.2, 19.2 and 13 LNBs, hidden nicely behind a bush that I have to keep well trimmed.

Standard Member

If this is in Ireland then the OP probably already uses a Zone 2 dish rather than a Zone 1 as they are installed as standard there.

I have a Zone 2 with two LNBs on it (19.2°E and 13°E). They're both the standard Sky four output ones and they touch. The 13°E one is actually just cable tied onto the side of the 19.2°E one mounted in the centre of the dish. A bit of a bodge but it's fairly secure and seems to work well. To get 28.2°E as well you need to use some kind of bracket like in your post TJT1 as the spacing needs to be a bit wider rather than touching.

The 13°E one is actually just cable tied onto the side of the 19.2°E one mounted in the centre of the dish.

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Sounds like you have been taking lessons from the master of bodge. Man after my own heart as perhaps you can tell by the use of LNBs designed for 'circular' dishes on an elliptical Sky dish. The purist would be aghast.
Must get at mine with my fancy (read expensive) sat meter and see if I can tweak them a bit. I set them up originally with the 'catch all and beep' el -cheapo sat meter.